An embodiment relates generally to enhancing the accuracy of fuel economy indicators.
Fuel economy is an easy determination when a vehicle is traveling along a flat, non-inclined road surface; however, fuel economy can change significantly when the vehicle is traveling on an inclined surface. To determine the fuel economy on an inclined surface accurately, the angle of inclination of the traveled road surface is commonly required. However, to determine an angle of inclination, additional sensors in the vehicle would be required. GPS could be used to determine the angle of inclination; however, GPS measurements are updated at a slow rate (1 hz). Therefore, the vehicle could travel as much as a few tens of meters before the fuel economy is updated based on the GPS data transmission rate.